Sensation After Breast Augmentation: Nerve Rehabilitation for Breasts, Nipples and Areolas

Medically reviewed by Jennifer Richman on October 30, 2025.

The Reality of Sensation Changes After Breast Augmentation

Immediately after a breast augmentation surgery––with implants and/or fat grafting––patients can expect to feel numbness in the breasts. As the nerve pathways that were disrupted by surgery recover, patients will experience sensations like tingling and itching; although uncomfortable, this is a sign that the nerves are coming back on line.

These uncomfortable feelings of tingling, zapping and itching under the skin will usually cease after 3-6 months post-op. Still, since nerve regeneration is a slow process, literally measured in millimeters of nerve growth a day, it can take up to a full year for sensation to recover fully.

Will I Lose Sensation in my Breasts and Nipples After Surgery?

Theoretically, after a breast augmentation, patients should regain the same level of sensitivity they had in their nipples and areolas before surgery [1]. Anecdotally, some patients report experiencing increased sensitivity after a breast augmentation, whereas others report reduced sensitivity in their nipples or certain parts of their breasts.

Some surgeons have their own premonitions about what factors may put patients more at risk of experiencing reduced sensation after a breast augmentation surgery. Since sensation regeneration is under-studied, the data on sensation loss after breast augmentation does not give us clear answers on which techniques are more likely to result in long-term sensation loss or reduction. For example, some studies have shown that patients who undergo an inframammary incision have a slightly higher risk of experiencing reduced sensation in the lower-outer quadrant of the breast [1, 2]. Factors like implant size and and type (silicone vs. saline) have not been shown to be linked to a greater risk of sensation loss [3].

How to Get Sensation Back After a Breast Augmentation?

Nerve Rehabilitation with Sensory Re-Education Exercises

If regaining pre-operative levels of breast and nipple sensitivity are important to you, we recommend that you consistently practice nerve rehabilitation exercises as you recover. Patients should refrain from these exercises until about 6 weeks after surgery, once their surgeon has given them clearance.

Doing just a few minutes of nerve rehabilitation or sensory re-education exercises a day can improve your healing outcomes long-term: to feel temperature, pressure, and accurately locate where on your chest you are being touched.

Exercises for adjusting to sensitivity changes

At about 6 weeks post-op, patients can start with gentle exercises to help the nerves adjust to touch:

• Lightly brush different soft fabrics (silk, cotton balls, etc.) across the breasts.
• Gradually progress from softer to medium and eventually firmer fabrics, like washcloths and thicker wool.

Exercises for recovering temperature perception

From the 8-12 week post-op mark, patients can re-train the brain to recognize safe temperature differences in the chest:

• Alternate lightly pressing a cold and warm washcloth on the chest.
• Don’t use extreme temperatures: like a washcloth with boiling water.

Exercises for identifying the location of touch

From about 3-6 months after surgery, you can re-train your brain to accurately identify the location of touch:

• With your eyes closed, someone else can gently touch an area of your breasts.
• Try to detect where you are being touched, and open your eyes to confirm the precise location.

Exercises for supporting sensory recovery

From 3-12 months after top surgery, applying a low-intensity vibrator (or electric toothbrush) to healed skin can help stimulate deeper nerve endings and advance nerve healing.

Sensation Recovery: When to Consult your Surgeon?

It is normal to feel zapping, itching and tingling sensations as your brain re-establishes connections with healing nerves. However, if you experience the following abnormal reactions, please contact your care team:

• Extreme hypersensitivity (pain) that does not improve beyond 21 days after surgery
• Sensation suddenly disappears after starting to return
• No recovery of sensation (persistent numbness) 18-24 months after surgery

Sources:

[1]: https://academic.oup.com/asj/article-abstract/36/7/784/2664543

[2]: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1748681525002104?casa_token=JrC0rWpiBUwAAAAA:phT8ml3dnJTdrbBOSiSSGkO-zZ0ngebS933Aym_UD2Zi45JPpQO3pcUFdiEoEv7j_VB7NjaXug

[3]: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1748681525002104?casa_token=JrC0rWpiBUwAAAAA:phT8ml3dnJTdrbBOSiSSGkO-zZ0ngebS933Aym_UD2Zi45JPpQO3pcUFdiEoEv7j_VB7NjaXug